


Day 174

by Josh_the_Bard



Series: A Year in Kirkwall [274]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 15:49:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26760133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Josh_the_Bard/pseuds/Josh_the_Bard
Series: A Year in Kirkwall [274]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1589257
Kudos: 1





	Day 174

Lisa-Marie knew she should feel honored that Brennan had selected her for cross-training with the templars. It showed that, in the few short months she had been with the guards, she had managed to distinguish herself. What it also meant, was that if demons attacked the alienage, Lisa-Marie would be expected to be among the first to respond. Growing up on her family’s farm, she had never seen a mage, nevermind a demon, before coming to Kirkwall. Now it seemed as though maleficar were hiding in every shadow and sending demons to attack the guards. The entire guard had been mobilized to rescue Donnic from a demon’s clutches. If things went badly for her, Lisa-Marie wondered if she would warrant the same response.

Lisa-Marie stood with two dozen other guards of varying rank, and waited for their instructor to arrive. Knight Captain Cullen, it was said, was a veteran of the Fifth Bligh, not a simple refugee like most fereldons in Kirkwall. He had been the only templars to survive the fall of the Fereldon Circle and had endured days of torture at the hands of demon and blood mages before the Wardens had rescued him.

The assembled guards were watching a makeshift stage that had been built on their training grounds. When Cullen did arrive, he climbed atop it so everyone could see him clearly. 

“Demons,” Cullen said in a voice that could have cut straight through a pitched battle, “will prey on your emotions. Every fear, every desire will be exploited. Templars training in spiritual pursuits to gain mastery over these emotions.”

From the templars Lisa-Marie had me, she was pretty sure that wasn’t true.

“If you hope to stand against these monsters without the Maker-given powers of our order, you will need to do the same.”

Lisa-Marie suppressed a groan. She was as devout as the next woman but there was a reason she had joined the guards and not the Chantry.

“But the most common way you will be interacting with demons,” Cullen continued, “is in battle. So we will start our lessons in a less abstract capacity.”

What followed was a grueling series of training exercised. These Lisa-Marie could get behind. She wasn’t afraid to get sweaty. Cullen taught them a new shield stance that would help deflect fire or acid attacks as well as showing them the most vulnerable points on common demons.

“Rage demons,” Cullen said, wandering the training area correcting stances and sword grips, “have a smoldering core in the center of their body. If you can destroy it, you destroy the demon.”

“Most of this boils down to don’t get hit and then stab them,” Lisa-Marie laughed to her sparring partner. “I sure am glad we took the time to come to this training session.”

“Pray that all you have to do is fight demons head on.” Lisa-Marie had not noticed how close Cullen was until he spoke. “And be sure to nip any magical insurrection in the bud. I truly hope you never come to learn just how much pain a mage can cause to satisfy their own sadistic pleasure.”

“Er, yes sir,” Lisa-Marie said, returning to her training. Most high ranking people Lisa-Marie had met were intimidating at a distance and approachable once you got to know them. Cullen was the opposite of that. He didn’t seem all that tough while on stage but there was something not quite right about the templar. Lisa-Marie would not want to face him in a real fight.


End file.
